Outcry:
by Fantasyficcer
Summary: Dumbledore and, Grindlewald finally have their duel. The duel of legend. The duel that ends a four decades long world wizarding war.


Outcry:

By Fantasyficcer86:

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own this. This is the property of one, J.K. Rowlling.

 **Author's Note:** I will warn you, the reader, that there are two mini chapters at the end of this tory. Sorry for the size. They really are tiny. Had to get to seven. Seven rules Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 1: Public Outcry:**

It was seven in the evening. A mild, star spangled sky winked back at Albus Dumbledore as he sat in his ornate, high-backed oak chair. The last few weeks, decades really, had been a certifiable nightmare. Armondo dippet, whom had died a fort night ago, gazed down at Albus from his place high up on the study wall. All of the old headmaster, and Mistresses were. They had been doing since Albus had taken up the post of Headmaster himself, only a week ago. It had been a typhoon of owls ever since the Minister for magic from Bulgaria had been tortured to death. More muggles, were being converted into inferi. The loved one of those families were becoming more insistent than ever before that somebody take him down. Therefore, his fellows at the British Ministry Of Magic were bombarding Albus with owls. They were afraid that he was the only one with the power to stop him.

Albus had his doubts. Should he? Did he have the right to possess one of the most powerful artifacts in wizarding history. One that had taken on legendary status. No wizard, or witch believed that it existed. Most of the wizarding public knew not of the wand of destiny, as it known. Only those who studied wand law knew that it might. and the famed Bulgarian wand maker, Gregorovitch knew that it did indeed exist. As he was the last person to possess it, in the loosest terms. That was, until he spirited it away. Should he possess that much power? Or, would the quest seduce him again? The quest to become master of death. Could he face him for the final time? Could he kill him? Who, in that disastrous triangle duel in Albus's youth, slew Ariana? His, and Aberforth dearest Sister. Albus's belly churnned unpleasently as another owl tapped it's beak on the window of his study. "Open." Albus told the window, as he waved his wand. The owl flew in through the window, alighting upon his desk. Albus untied the letter, and tore open the envelope. It was a letter from Elphias.

Albus. I wanted to be the first to tell you that the wizengamot is moving on Gellert as we speak. Both from Britain, and Bulgaria. I was voited down. I wanted await you final decision, and a couple others did as well. However, we were voted down. After all, I am only an adviser. The other advisers and I felt that it would be too perilous to do anything yet. A task force has been assembled between the two ministries. A few French aurors have also been dispatched. They will all be meeting in London. They will then search out. Albus, this could be a blood bath. Not only is Gellert the most dangerous wizard in the recent age. But, he also has powerful creatures, and followers at his beck and call. I wanted to let you know. You still have a few hours. It will take time for them to arrange everything. I will meet you in London. I will stand with you, if you choose to take him down, or stop this massacre. Albus, I know you are a good man. I don't know all that took place. But I do know that much. You are a decent man. And, a good wizard. You did not do any of this with ill intent.

Elphias.

The Bulgarian ministry must have decided tot, if albus would do nothing about what was going on, they indeed would. They were acting in the name of the greater good. They were giving into the pressure that the public otcry was placing upon them. This was going to happen eventually. He knew that. But should he act? Did he have the right. "If only I'd known."

"What was that, Albus?" Dylls asked from her photo, affixed to one of the study walls. She wore an expression of concern that Albus was talking to himself as he sat in his chair.

"Nothing Dyllis." Albus stood. He tossed the letter in the fire and began to pace. He thought through the implications once again. The task force would die. No doubt of it. Creatures, followers, and other deadly defenses were guarding Nermengard. They needed his help, he needed theirs. Owls had bombarded his study since the word go. Both since he'd become a teacher at Hogwarts, and now. Especially now. After all, he was Headmaster now. Albus felt as if he would crumble under the weight of responsibility. The only thing he wanted was a good book, hot chocolate, and bed. He wanted to live out his life in peace. However, how many people wanted the same? How many lives had been destroyed or, twisted into a hell by what Grindelwald was doing? Could he be as responsible for the bl innocent blood splattered across Europe as much as Grindelwald was? No doubt of it. He could not possess the elder wand though. He was not worthy. Then again, neither was he. There was more however. He could not face Grindelwald without knowing who killed Ariana. He needed closure. But he wasn't going to receive it. The triangle duel long ago was far too confusing to know for certain. Not unless he asked her himself. He would use the stone. yes. He'd had to insist that he borrow the ring from a current student called Tom Riddle. he let Dumbledore borrow it, begrudgingly. He had to know.

It had taken him a while to finally understand that the resurrection stone was one of the deathly hallows. And, still more time to suss out how to use it. He took the ring from his desk. His hands were trembling so badly that he dropped the ring. His heart skipped a few beast. But it turned out that he random tumbling across a floor did not set to use. Plucking it up, he carefully turned it three times in his hands. Think about Ariana all the time. She blossomed out of the stone. Not a ghost, more solid than the incorporeal consistency of a simple ghost. But, it did not resurrect her. Not, per say. However, she was solid enough to where she did not simply walk through one of the small tables which held several of Hogwarts magical tools. She bumped into it as she walked into the center of the room with an expression of terrified awe upon her face. She was blonde, slight of build, and had blue eyes, like their entire family did, aside from his Mother's side. Airiana began to tremble as if she were standing naked in the middle of a frozen lake, during a particularly fierce blizzard. She shivered overtly. She obviously frightened. Of what, Albus knew not. "Mum? Dad? Where am I? I want Mum. Ab? No. I want Ab! Ab now!" She sobbed.

Ab was the affectionate pet name she called Albus's younger brother. He called her Ari. "It is I. Your eldest brother. Albus. I need to ask you something, Ariana. Please?" He asked gently.

Ariana sat upon the floor, clamped her arms over her head, and began to rock. Just like she did when she was becoming a subject of great emotional turbulence. She was utterly terrified. Panicking a bit himself now, Albus raised his wand. He had placed the stone next to the owl on his desk. Thinking better of, he put it in his pocket. Along with the ring, which it was attached to. He didn't want the ring to roll off the desk, and becom lost. "I will put you back again after I ask you this question. This one question, Ariana. Who slew you?"

"Ab, I want to feed the goats. Where are the goats, Ab? Bristles, here girl! Ab? Where is this? Where am I? Why am I so cold? No I don't like iti. If you bite first, Ab." Ariana babbled.

Albus thought about deceiving Ariana and telling her that he was Abelforth. If he had killed in that duel, he didn't want to lie to her to boot. She became more, and more frantic. "Ariana-"

Ab!" Out of nothing she blew apart Albus's desk, and chair. Fragments of wood splinters blew through the study like a wooden tornado. They embedded themselves in the walls, and floor. Ariana screamed. Albus raised his wand and with his other hand, twisted the stone in revearse. The mostly solid version of Ariana vanished on the spot. She was still sobbing.

The oak doors exploded inward at that moment. It was Grindelwald. His soulless orange eyes ablaze, his voice thunderous. "Dumbledore! I am here to finish off you family by killing you! You betrayed me!" He stormed forward as Dumbledore stood there, awaiting his end. He deserved such a fait. He deserved worse. But this would do. "I slew your brother, you your sister, and your parents died for reasons of which you alone brought about! Die, alone, Albus!" Albus stod motinonless as Gellert Grindelwald bellowed, "Avada kadavra!"

The room was swallowed by a title wave of green light. Dumbledore knew that this soul was going to be ripped from his body. But, he did not know that it would be so painful. It felt like something was pecking at his being. Little pin pricks of agony here and there all over his body and soul. What an odd sensation. Albus awoke with the owl on the desk pecking at his arm. "Oh!" Albus gasped as he came fully to himself. Realizing that he had fallen asleep, Albus looked at the clock. He had only been asleep for about eleven minutes. The task force news still sat before him on the desk. He stood. He flipped the letter from Elphas over, and wrote upon the back of the message, I am coming. "Re tun this." The owl seem to nod importantly and flew out the open window, Dumbledore shut it behind the bird. After summoning his long black traveling cloak, he strode from his study.

"Albus?" A large man, though in a very stunted, rotund, hailed Albus inquisitively as Albus reached the great hall. "Out for a stroll are you?"

"A drink, I think. And you, Horace?" Albus kept his tone light, and friendly.

"Night cap." Horace smiled. "A short break between grading work."

"I take it there was no slug club meeting?" Albus asked.

"Tomorrow. Tonight, I had much to do."

"Ah. We do tend to over stretch ourselves a bit." Albus said, a tinge of dryness invading his tone. He knew very well that Horrace was hunting for more of his favorite. Crystallized pineapple from the kitchens. Albus doubted that Horace had done more than half the work he was attempting to lead Abus into thinking he had done. Meanwhile, Albus himself was now the transfiguration teacher, the Headmaster, and chief warlock of the wizengamot. All rolled into one. Albus was litterally doing four times the work Horace was.

"I won't hold you up, albus." Horace smiled. The two men nodded to one another as the passed each other. Slughorn on his way to the kitchens, and Albus toward the double oak front doors, which lead out of the castle. He paused to take in the night. He battled with the aftermatch of the nightmare he'd just indured. He was still sweating lightly. It really was a pitty. Even in his brief moments when he slept during the day, he was not safe from the nightmares. And the news from families both in and out of the wizarding world were no help. The Outcry was growing, both in size and in insistence. Could he live with himself if he continued to stand aside from this struggle? From the incontrovertible inevitability? He would one day have to face Grindelwald. Not that nobody else was skilled enoguh however, Grindelwald was in possession of the elder wand. That was, possibly, invincible. It was a very powerful wand, and with Gellert's kill at martial magic on top of everything else, things would become more messy if others involved themselves. Could Albus defeat his former best friend? Even...lover? Was there any love left in Gellert's heart? What if Gellert turned Albus away? Albus sighed. He began to walk briskly toward Hogsmeade.

 **Chapter 2: The Mad Girl In The Wall:**

"Hello, Albus!" An old woman hailed Albus as he came upon the three broomsticks.

Albus waved back. "Hello Madem Rosmerta. I turst your Grandshildren are doing well?" She nodded vigerously.

"They are. How is Armondo? I heard he took ill, and you are filling in for him."

That was the truth. Albus was thinking of himself as Headmaster, perhapse prematurely, simply because the man was so ill. he was currently in S.t Mungos .I hear he is still convalescing."

"That is good. Poor old duffer. I hope he recovers soon. Though, if I could vot upon it, I would vote you in as Headmaster, indefinitely. Not just a deputy." She smiled amiably.

"I thank you, Madam." Behind his return smile, Albus felt wrong. He shuddered to think what might happen if he became the Headmaster. What if the dark side seduced him? He was not worthy of such thoughts. Or, of such a lofty posistion. He'd turned down the Minister for magic post. He was the chief warlock. That was enough. "I must be off." He said.

"Albus, please tell me that you are going to go stop him. An entire orphanage turned into an infieri army. That is a horror beyond all description. The dark wizard Grindelwald must be stopped." She had walked up to Albus until the stood chin to chest, Dumbledore was much taller than the older woman. "I and the wizarding world implore you. Please."

"Please excuse me. I must go and meet somebody." Albus said. He regreted his short manner with the woman but, it was tru. He did have to meet someone. So, he headed for the Hog's Head. After striding through the usual crowd in the Hog's Head, he finally reached his younger brother, who was at the bar. "I know you are rather busy, but I need a word, Aberforth." Alberforth hurled a blistering glair in Albus's direction then, went to see to his other costumers, and regulars. Albus puled out his wand. "Alberforth, I must insist."

"You have never been able to frighten me, Albus. Now stop pestering me. I have a damn pub to run." Aberforth snapped over his shoulder, as he poured a dink for an elderly witch.

A massive youth waved over at Albus. "Hell, professor Dumbledore sir." Hagrid hollered across the pub.

"Hello, Hagrid." Albus said politely. Though polite was far from how Albus was feeling at the moment. He had to know. Had to. "Aberforth, we are brothers. Please. I must speak with you. Until he was done cleaning the windows with a dirty rag, talking he never did on a regular basis, and in general ignoring Albus he finally turned. He glared harshly at Albus.

"Get up the bleeding stairs then. I'll be up in a bit, Albus." He growled begrudgingly.

"Good." Albus said, nodding once. He went up the gnarled stairway. Which, lead up to the small flat. The place was crude, and shabby yet, clean also. Ariana's oil painting hung over the mantelpiece. "Ariana, hello. She smiled. "I have a question for you. Who was it that slew you in the duel that took your life?" He hated doing this however, he had to know. for his own sake. Ariana did something startling. Something that confirmed that her spirit was bound up in the ooil painting. She began shedding tears. The oil painting was crying. She then covered her face, and turned from him, her narrow shoulders quaking. It was then that Aberforth came through the door to the flat. Abelforth froze in the doorway.

Abelforth stood framed in the doorway for a few moments. A menacing rage filled his face. And a deep soft sadness. "You ass. What did you do? Ari, are you alright?" Ariana whimpered.

"Aberforth, I had to know. I must know." Albus back peddled. He was taken a back a bit but, he knew that he should not be. Ariana was more precious to Aberforth than a mountain of gold. Than Greengots entire treasure. He mentally kicked himself. But there was such a wave of guilt, and uncertantity within him. "Please, Ab. I must know." Albus whispered.

"What? What could be so important that you just had to re-traumatizer her, albus? No. I don't want to hear it." He strode toward Ariana's portrait. "It's alright, Ari. "Leave now, Albus."

"No. I need to know who killed out sister." Aberforth froze, Ariana was turned around again in the portrait. She was smiling. Albus was relieved. His nightmare in the char still haunted him. As did all of the others that had been plagueing him for the past several decades. Since the war began. He could not kill Grindelwald until he knew it was Grindelwald whom had slain his, and Aberforth's sister. He did not know if he could kill Gellert in any event. He would take him down. But should he? Did he have the right? "Aberforth-"

"Didn't you hear me? get out! You're lucky I don't break your for you again!" Aberforth roared, Ariana flintched. "I'm not mad at you, dear one. Calm down now." He whispered softly.

It was obvious that Abelforth was ignoring Albus's question. He decided to push a little more. He needed to end this. "Abelforth I must know." Albus said firmly, yet quietly. "Please ask her." Abelforth's back stiffened. Albus thought about the rift that had grown between them, since the death of the rest of their family. Ariana was smiling a bit now. "Please?"

"Ari, do you mind telling us who it was that killed you?" Ariana shook her head, and began to cry. Watery trails tailed their way down the portrait's surface. She seemed to be crying in a more calm way. "From what I hear, the christian muggles believe that it means the apocalypse when statures, and portraits begin to cry. This will be bad eh?" Abelforth grumbled. When Albus didn't say anything, Ableforth nodded once. "I won't push her into answering. I won't do it I tell you. Now, go have your little slap fight. Save the world."

Aberforth felt it when his older brother turned, and left the room. Albus possibly knew that Ableforth was holding his wand in front of himself, out of sight. "I'm sorry, Ari."

"I love you, Ab." She whispered in a watery way, still silently crying.

"And, I love you, Ari." As Abelforth replaced his wand into his pocket, he wrestled with the possibilities of what his parents would have said, about Abelforth turning his back on his elder brother. He knew what Ari would say. Nothing. She just would have that calm, sweet, dangerous expression upon her face. More sweet than anything else though. He smiled.

Airiana smiled back, then frowning, she said. "Help him. Albus."

"Help him? he doesn't need my help." Abelforth said dismissively, waving an airy hand.

"You said the world is bleeding. And, all these sots were just opening the wound wider every day. Help him make it safe again. We do love him. he is our Brother. Please, Ab? For our family." Ariana held up one pale, small, and delicate hand. Pushing this up against the front of the portrait she smiled sadly down at Abelforth. "Help our big brother. He needs us." She took her other hand and placed it over her modest, half developed breasts. "In here there is a place he sits for both of us. "I want to help him." Ariana said lamented.

"For all the good I'd be in a fight with Gellert, I might as well be trapped in that portrait with you." Abelforth said in a sort of grim sarcasm. Ariana lowered her hands, and eyes. "Fine."

"Really?" Ariana brightened. She looked up with a radiant, beaming smile surging across her pretty, young face.

Abelforth would kill to see that smile. She deserved no less than to have such a look overwhealm her expression at least a dozen times each day. He couldn't help it. He smiled too. I will somehow track him down and we will follow Albus. Then, we will follow him into at least certain injury." Abelforth then went down to the bar to send some messages to his contacts in the spying industry. He knew that Albus would know at once that Abelforth would be having Albus followed. And it would take some convincing to get Albus to not hex him in return for this act. But he was doing this, not for Albus. He was doing for Ariana. Though, he had to admit, she did have a point. They family. "I'll be right back, Ari."

Ariana waved, smiling still more widely. "Alright. Bye, Ab."

Abelforth felt badly for his half mad sister. And even his brother. This was no small decision he was wrestling with. But dementors be damned if it didn't stop the anger. And, the bitterness. Abelforth went downstairs and went back to work. For there were several of the regulars still sitting in the bar. Afterwards, he found a note on the bar. It was a talking letter from Albus. For Albus knew that Abelforth was no great shakes at reading. So, he enchanted his letters to speak instead. After he read the not he'd send out certain messages. After ushering the final patron out of the bar, he closed it up, and went back to the note, whcih he'd placed in his pocket"Good night, Hagrid." He told the young half giant. Then, he went back to the letter, taking it out of his pocket and unfolding it briskly. . It spoke in an echoing parody of Albus's was as if Albus had never left.

"Ableforth, I wanted to apologize for what I tried to do tonight. Tell Ariana that I said that I am sorry for it, and that I hope she won't hold it against me for long. I believe I have made my decision. The outcry is becoming rather overwhelming. I must confront this fear. and the weight upon my heart. If I should fall, I wanted you to know. Your brother, Albus."

Abelforth went back up the stairs to his flat, to tell Ariana what Albus had said. She seemed pleased. "Perhaps he has changed? One can hope. Though, I doubt it. This may just be more manipulation." Ariana did not seem to know what that meant. She wouldn't. The attack she had suffered had sapped of most of her brain power. "Bah. What of it anyway."

"We will stand by him. help him. Make it safe anyway. Please?" Ariana asked softly as Abelforth sank into an arm chair. As Abelforth fell asleep, he nodded toward the portrait. "Goodnight."

"Ermh." Abelforth grumbled sleepily.

"The task force, aside from myself are all dead, Bumedore. All of them. Also, several families have been torn apart by inferi. I tried to beat him, and I escaped. Barely." Alistor Moody growled as he and Dumbledore sat at the bar at the three broomsticks. It was late, and everybody had cleared out eleven thirty. Now, it was nearly midnight on the final night of April. "I know you have an odd hang up about this fight. But, ask yourself this. how many must suffer before somebody steps up to stop him, eh?" Moody exited the pub.

Albus thought about Moody's final point, before he'd left. He wondered where the stone was, and if he dared hear what Ariana would say if he could bring her back. He shook his head. The further destruction of his family had come about by the appearance of Grindelwald. He was to blame for not seeing what Gellert really was. What they were both doing, in truth. How warped they had become. Ariana was not Gellert's, Abelforth's nor even her own fault. It was his. All his. Though Gellert had proceeded it. However, Gellert's account was mounting. He was tearing other families apart, like his own. How many people would have to suffer? When was he going to take responsibility? Abelforth was correct. He had confronted Albus at Ariana's funeral. Albus would never forget what Abelforth had bellowed at him as he broke Albus's nose. Albus studied the watery bar top closely.

"It's your fault!"

Albus could not deny that it had been. Ariana's death was his fault. Suddnely, somebody came into the pub.

"Still struggling eh, Albus?" Doge asked gently. Rosmerta glaired. He was sitting in a chair on the other side ot the bar, waiting for the pub to clear out so she could have a kip.

"I am." Albus nodded.

"Well, you will make the right one. Hagrid, Moody, myself, and even Abelforth believe in you. Ariana too" After ordering, paying for, and drinking a butter bear, he too walked out.

Looking up, albus saw that it was ten to midnight. The families whom had been torn asunder by Gellert's violence dancing thourgh his mind, Albus stood. "I will see you again, Rosmerta." His head hnging over his desk. He gave the study side long looks. Folks piered back at him, somehow convaying a sense of, you know you should do. Don't ask me. "I quite agree, sadly." Dumbledore told Fawlks. He stared at the desk once again. More people had died today. He'd heard about in the evening prophet. Abruptly, his bluer than blue eyes came up. Albus placed his long fingered hand into his pocket. He would finally the desire of his heart. The song of his conscious. He sighed, and at long last, exited the study.

"Good luck, Dumbledore!" Derwint called through the door as Albus strode down the circular staircase, which moved on it's own. However, Albus wished to make great haste.

"For all you have done, Gellert, I am coming for you." Dumbledore muttered darkly to himself as he fled to castle, down through the dark grounds, and through the front gates. Dumbledore disapperated when he was outside of the charmed borders of Hogwarts. He had waited too long. It was now eleven oh seven of the thirtyith of April. "Eleventh hour indeed." Albus mumbled as he apperated onto the grounds of Gellert's stronghold. His prison, and hom of Nermangard. He gazed at the menacing ediphace. It was nearly midnight. Albus decided that he would not call attention to himself by breaching the gates until midnight. The hour that magic was at it's strongest. Albus gripped his wand more firmly. For all Gellert had done, for every crime he had commited, and for all the damaged he had wroght, Gellert had to be taken down. Forever, if it came to it. "Bever again, Gellert. For I shall defeat in the name of the greater good." There was no warning. At the sound of Albus's voice, a chim sounded. And a new voice spoke. Albus knew that voice.

"Are you certain, Albus? It seems to me, that I have the advantage."

Albus spun, for the all too familiar voice had come from an apperated man's throat but a foot from Albus's back. "Good evening, Gellert." The tall silver haired, slight figured man held his wand on Albus. "Please forgive me but I would rather avoid any pretenses, and pretexts. You know why I have come, Gellert. Please...surrender. there need be no violence."

"Between us, Albus. You meant between us. "

""You know what I meant, Gellert." Albus said calmly, more calmly than he felt in point of fact. He was feeling a bit less brave than usual. His inerds felt dry.

"But there has already been violence between us, Albus."

"How do you mean? Ah," Albus said, not waiting for an answer, "The triangle duel we had with my younger brother. I am afraid that this fight will be our final meeting, Gellert."

"No. I meant that, when you cast me aside, you ripped out my very heart, Albus!" Naked ferocity shown in Gellert's glacial gaze. They both knew what that really was. Profound pain.

Albus sighed sadly. "And you did the same when you killed my sister, after wanting to go a crusade that would claim countless muggle lives. I could not trust that you would stop, Gellert."

"I have no more words stored away for you, Albus." Gellert struck a fighter's stance, as did Albus in response. "Goodbye, Albus." Gellert grindlewald snarled, raising his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

 **Chapter 3: Midnight At Nurmengard:**

It was around twelve minutes to go until closing time in the Hog's Head. Abelforth was bustling around behind the bar, retrieving drinks, and food. "One gallion." He told a broad ogre.

As a quartet of hags stood, and a trio of warlocks finished playing a game of wizard's chess, Abelforth began to put things away. It was nearly midnight, which was closing time. "Abelforth?"

"What is it?" Abelforth grunted as he turned around, he had been replacing wizarding liqueur bottles back onto their shelves. he even had his wand out, preparatory to casting the usual silent intruder alarm over the pub, and his flat. He scowled upon his eyes discovery of the black traveling cloak clad speaker. "Meh. Doge, what do you want? I'm closing up."

"I know. I was watching. I wanted to know if you were going to go support your borther? He's has decided to cnfront Gellert Grindelwald. Tonight. He sent me a message via Fawlks."

Abelforth plunked the final bottle onto a high shelf behind the bar, and glared at Doge, who simpley gazed back, an inquisitive expression on his pouchy face. "Eh? Oh. That ruddy phoenix. That damned bird nearly set my bar on fire last time it was here. Lucky I was quick with an extinguishing charm." Abelforth muttered, at top speed. "He doesn't need , I would just get in the damn way. Now, excuse me. I am going to put things to right then, have a kip. Albus will be fine without me getting in the way." Abelforth geared brusquely.

"But he's your brother." Doge protested. "I am not blood and yet, I will be there. I will follow Fawlkes to the battle site."

"Good for you, Doge. Now, get out. Now. I'm all closed up."

"In more than one way, certainly." Doge muttered.

"Get out!" Abelforth snapped.

"Alright then. I hope you can sleep after this." Doge scowled as he exited the bar.

Twelve minutes later, Abelforth was about to go to bed when he saw the slightly down cast, and disappointed gaze of Ariana. That is when a vast title wave of shame hit Abelforth. "Damn it all." He muttered. He went to the portrait. "You want me there, don't you, Ari?" He asked softly. Ariana nodded slowly. Abelforth drew his wand, and left his flat.

Albus ducked the killing curse, while twisting and vanishing on the spot. He apperated in the path of a torture curse. Again, he disapperated, avoiding the curse. Apperating again, he shouted, "Relashio!" Dodging she spell, Gellert waved his wand in a wide arc, creating a crushing cocoon of earth around Albus. "Expulso!" Albus ejaculated. Petrificus totalus!"

As the earth cocoon exploded, the clods of earth became shards of glass, shooting towards Albus. Albus transfigured the glass into a cloud of wild flowers, Gellert dodged the paralysis jinx. The wild fowers began to spit barbs, enchanted to put one's adversary to sleep, bur are evaded by Gellert. Dumbledore then crafts a cage of starlight to entrap Gellert.

Avada kadavra!" Gellert screamed as he disapperated out of the cage of starlight. Albus winked out existence.

"Silencio!" Albus shouted in return, from behind. He hit Gellert, who conjured a whip with a snake's fangs on the end of it. The venomous fangs bit into Albus's shoulder. Albus quickly conjured an anit venom, swallowing it, he then cast a wave of a sleeping gas. Gellert transformed this into tiny shards of ice, which Albus rebounds upon Gellert, who disapperated.

Apperating, to a point just behind Albus's left shoulder. Waveing his wand, Gellert both blocked Albus's blast of force, which would have knocked him cold, and returned his own voice. "Occio amour!" Gellert yelled as Albus tries to waylay Gellert with a well aimed yet ill timed disarming hex. Gellert opens the wardrobe and Ariana's corpse fell onto the dirty. "Occulmency, Ablus. I read your mind and, when I did, I saw your deepest fear. It is a boggart but, it is not the boggart you are frightened of is tt?" Gellert mocked. Avada kadavra!"

"No!" albus moaned. Albus fell to his knees, beside his fallen sister. He took her hand, weeping. "No." A flash of green light narrowly missed his head. Then, Albus remembered. "No!"

"No what, Albus? yes. You killed your sister, abandoned me and our noble cause, and failed your family. You are no longer anything to me, or them, Albus! Crucio!" Gellert's aim was true. Albus screamed and writhed upon the ground, beside the boggart corpse of his deceased sister. As Albus screamed, Gellert laughed. Tehn relented. "Get back up, Albus." Gellert kicked Albus in the face, breaking his half moon glasses. "I only said that she would not have to worry. I was going to kill your useless sister regardless. Pathetic."

"You are indeed, Gellert." Albus ground out. From the ground, Albus attempted to call lightning down onto Gellert's head. However, he turning it into a striking serpent. Albus disapperated.

"Well, there's one sure way to track him down. Abelforth said, waving his wand. "Occio owl!" An owl zoomed from the castle into the Hog's Head. "Now, you write a message, and we can follow the owl. Course, we will need brooms and, hold on a mo. He placed a tracking spell onto the owl. It hooted softly. Doge did as Abelforth asked. "Occio brooms!"

"Are you sure this will work?" Doge asked. Usually, Abelforth's plans would end up costing somebody something. He wasn't very bright. This was actuallly well thought out, for him.

As the brooms shot into the Hog's Head from the three broomsticks, and the owner of the pub screamed in rage in the distance, Abelforth mounted his broom. "Well, coming, Doge?"

Nodding, Doge wrote the messaged, it only said hello, and mounted his own broom as he released the owl Doge tied the message to it's leg. the large barn owl flapped it's wings, eager to be off. Doge put his quill into a his pocket, he'd had to conjure ink, and parchment. They zoomed away through the front door out of the pub, and into the dangerous night.

Unbeknownst to the pair of older wizards, a massive force, larger than the task force whom had been sent three days ago, had been martialed. A dozen hit wizards, and aurors from all three ministries. A dozen from Britain, a dozen from Bulgaria, and a dozen from France, were all flying toward Dermstrang then, to Nurmengard. Albus had sent a missive to the British ministry of magic saying he was going to fight Grindelwald. The small army was formed to aid Dumbledore, if he needed their help. All of them were prepared to die. They were to meet up with a couple of teachers at Dermstrang, for they knew the country around that area best. "This ends, one way, or another!" Moody roared.

"Stupefy!" Albus blasted Grindelwald with a powerful stunning jinx. he ducked. A nearby tree lost quite a few of it's branches. Albus had apperated just behind Grindelwald. "Protego!"

"Imperio!" Grindelwald screamed. It hit Albus, going through Albus's shield charm. After all, the imperious curse was the of the most powerful dark curses on the planet."Slit your throat." Grindelwald demanded, whispering into Albus's mind. albus's wand arm dropped to his side. "Slit your throat." Grindelwald comande again. Albus conjured a knife. "Now!"

the large party was nearly to the school, Derstrang. "We get help, then we must get to the prison. Quickly!" Moody shouted over the wind. Fifteen minutes later, they descended.

"Do you still see the owl?" Doge asked abelforth, who nodded in reply. They were slightly shocked to notice a large group of flyers a few yards ahead. Abelforth's lit wand revealed them.

An overpowering peaceful void came over Albus;s mine. A calm, seductive voice whispered titillatingly inside of Albus's mind. He heard that voice tell him to slit his throat. He now had the dagger he'd conjured in his hand. He was lifting it to his windpipe. Albus heard the speaker pause to cast another jinx on him, a jelly brain jinx. He tired to get his wand up but, his arm felt like it weighted a ton. Where was he? Who was he? Out of nothing, he realized that the arm with the dagger was more than half way to his neck. then he thought that perhaps he deserved to die. He had killed his innocent sister. did he really deserve to live? Who was he to think that he had a right to life, really? The speaker faded into the background has he made his decision to take the threat he himself represented to the world. Albus felt the cold metallic blade against his throat. His hand began to move in a sawing motion. He could soon tell Ariana that he did not meant it. Would she forgive him? Did he deserve her forgiveness? No. No he did not. He was worse than any monster. Any fiend striding the mortal coil of creation. He felt the blood. Finally. And, he heard a new sound. A song? Albus thought somebody shouted. Then all was blackness.

The large group of aurors flew towards the site of the duel at top speed. In the deminishing distance, Moody saw a mass of black clad figures. Suddenly, he was what they were. "Dementors!"

"What was that, Moody?!" A French Auror screamed over the sound of the rushing wind.

"The owl stopped moving!" Abelforth bellowed over at Doge. Dodge looked as perplexed as Abelforth felt.

"I wonder why." Doge shouted.

Suddenly, Abelforth saw very well why as he flew past the owl. "Dementors!" He shouted in terror. Doge winced. They both stopped a little head of the owl. "Come on then!" He bellowed.

The sun beat upon the grass, giving it a lustrace sheen, as Abelforth and Gellert debated Ariana's condition, and what to do about it. Abelforth had Gellert's wand point at him. "Crucio!"

Dropping the verbal interference, Albus whipped out his want and shoved Gellert's wand up and away from Abelforth's crumpled form. He'd done this with a spell. "Stop this, Gellert!"

"No, Albus! We both agree that a few would have to pay the price. Let me make this worthless wretch an example of what will happen to those who defy us!" Gellert snarled. "AAAH!"

Gellert screamed as his robe set themselves alight. For Abelforth had somehow clung onto his wand, and set this spell against Gellert. Who screamed in shock, pain, and rage. Ava-"

"No!" Albus shouted in a heartbroken, disbelieving lement. "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" Gellert shouted, shielding himself from the spell insured his grip upon the elder wand. He pointed his wand at Abelforth once again, dispelling a neatly shot jinx of Abelforth's.

Ariana's mind was filled with the old buzzing noise again. And, she was afraid. She had to stop the booms. Had to be safe. Everybody had to be safe. She had to stop it. She couldn't take the bad sounds. Couldn't. Had to. Get there. Help. Be safe. Ariana unclamped her hands from her ears, and ran toward the din. "Ab, no!" She found herslef screaming.

"ari, no!" Abelforth, and Albus shouted as Gellert tossed them both down to the ground with an expolsion of magical power. He pointed his wand right at Ariana.

"This is all your fault! You sniveling meaningless bitch! Crucio!" Gellert screamed. At the same time, both Dumbledore brothers hurled spells at Gellert. And, Ariana hands flew out. There was a titanic eruption of overwhealming magical energy. A twenty foot tall ploom of sand was tossed forth. When all stood still, so did the world for long moments of a terrifying tragedy Abelforth began to bellow like a wounded cow. A horrible broken sound that torn even at Gellert's soul. Corrupted as it was. Even severed. Gellert hastily disapperated.

Silence yawned for several minutes. What was there to say? "He not only used the torture curse, but the killing curse as well. Albus said, more to himself. he stood looking down at his youngest ruined, half naked body. In a crater a yard across and twice again as deep. Albus knew as certainlly as he'd cast only a shield charm, that this was his fault. He had brought, or at least accepted Gellert here. What was he? A monster. The killing curse had bounced off of Ariana's explosion. Abelforth walked Ariana's corpse back toward the house.

 **Chapter 4: Tears:**

The blackest of black depressions consumed Albus for several decades after the events at their little home in Godric's Hollow. But, a quote from somebody had just krept into Albus's mind. "Just because our family suffered the way we did, doesn't mean others should go on suffering." That had been Abelforth during a conversation a week ago. He was right.

Even when Abelforth had called Albus a coward, and a monster, he'd been right. At the funeral, Abelforth had been in the right to break Albus's nose. He hadn't even tried to stop him. An odd thing happed out of nothing. The scene that day began to play again in his mind. With a massive effort, he, inch by inch, pulled himself back to reality. Dementors had surrounded him. They were all surrounding him. They were on all sides. Albus found himself on the ground, and he was so very cold. To the bone. "Goodbye, Albus." Gellert sneered viciously. "Avada kedavra!" Out of nothing, a larg swand like bird swooped into view, and swallowed the killing curse, whole. "Damnable bird!" Albus raised his wand. The dementors closed in. T That trick will only owrk for you once, Albus! Avada kedavra!" Another jet of greeen rushed at Albus. Another bird flew into view. Gellert swore.

With more of an effort, Albus thought of his family. Whole, happy, and safe. "Expecto patronum!" Albus boomed. Another pheonix, this one silvery white, burst out of Albus's wand tip. The owl's dead body fell to the ground. Why would an owl be here. Fawlkes he could understand. That would explane the horror stricken look on Gellert's face. But, an owl?

Abelforth, and Doge landed a distance away from the fith. They saw the owl die in the mdst of the horde of dementors. They'd flown a bit closer to it. Suddenly, a huge group of others landed, or apperated in the center of the conflict. They began to dispatch the dementors with well placed patronises. A crowd of silvery animals sampeeded down the thousands of dementors. Black clad forms, this time Abelforth thought they might be people. The followers of this mad man. Gellert. The figures tor into the aurors. who tor back.

"This duel will see no interference!" Albus boomed over the sudden, pitched battle now raging around the base of Nermingard.

A chores of "Aye," "Da," "Oui," and, "yes," met both Albus's, and Gellert's ears. Gelert whorlled his wand in a complex arc, and a thousand inferi burst out ot the ground, on all sides.

Out of nothing, Albus grabbed by his thorat, via apperation, and disaperated with him. They apperated in the center of a nearby field, not far from the prison. "We duel here, Gellert."

Raising his wand, the elder wand, Gellert grinned wickedly. "Fine, Albus. Let this field, where I grew my army and soed the seeds of what was once our nobel movement, be the end."

"I regret I ever took part in that movement. You aught to as well." Albus took up a fighter's stance. He was still feeling a bit wobbly in his mind after that psychic assault "Deprimo!"

Gellert waved his wand,, closing the hole which opened up right below him, and sending a barrage of sharp stone pelting towards Albus. Who transformed them into flowers. "Damn!"

As the dowers shot thorns straight at Gellert's face, Albus blasted another hole in the ground behind Gellert. "You are going to loose, Gellert. It is time you faced that fact." Albus spun hsi wand in a complex arc, creating a cage of starlight bar to bar, and floor to ceiling. This enclosed Gellert. But it's purpose was also to sap some of Gellert's magical powers. It worked. Partially. It closed around the other sorcerer but, the power of the wand was too great. Evedenced by the fact that Gellert was able to blast the cage apart. So, he had bonded with it then. Dumbledore thought this was a killing curse flew towards his face. Disapperating, and apperating around Albus, Gellert contructed a cage of his own. There was difference. Somehow, Gellert managed to cast a kiling curse from Albus's right, left, and above. They swooped toward him at deadly speed. Albus waited untl the last moment. He must time this just right. Albus cast an after image spell to try and fool Gellert into thinking the killing curses had killed Albus. Albus then disapperated at a point just behind Gellert. The killing curses rebounded upon one another. They bounced, hitting a tree, the wall of the prison, and a boulder yards away. Luckily, the tower prison was warded.

Turning from the sight of the tree going up in flame, and the boulder cracking into dust, Gellert then saw Albus point his wand at him as he turned fully around.. Gellert roared in rage. "I will have your life this night, Albus!"Gellert screamed. Shaking his head, Albus shot a spell that raised the hairs all over Geller's body. Gellert conjured a wall of stone in front of him. Gellert disapperated. He Apperated at a point to Albus's left. he confured forth one of the most dangerous curses. Not only to the target, but to the caster as well. Fiend fire. Immediately, a horde of white-gold mystical creatures erupted from the tip of the Elder wand. Gellert cackled maniacally He could feel the wand's mythical power, come to life. As did the creatures. Dragons, kimeras, gouls, hydra, Griffins, vast serpents, titans, and more poured forth. More than a thousand flaming beasts gave voice to feral battle cries, and charged. "Kill the man whom stands before you! Slaughter him! make the earth soak in his blood like water through a sponge!" Gellert commanded to the fiery forces.

Albus's heart sped up as he stared down the flaming menagerie rushing toward him with lethal intent. "Do not be a fool, Gellert. With that wand these cursed beasts are nigh uncontrollable!"

In answer to Albus's shout, Gellert gave voice to a mocking cackle. The horde of semi sentient beasts surged forth in a mad rush, straight at Albus. "And for assurance...avada kedavra!"

A jet of green light sped toward Ablus, along with the horde of flamming beasts. albus back up a few steps, worried. This was bad. He had to do something to drive Gellert into fear. He had to make Gellert listen somehow. The wand was in total control of Gellert. albus was heartbroken for his old friend. he sighed. There was nothing else he could do. Albus hoped this shock would jolt Gellert with reality enough to where he could apperhaend him, rather than killing him. Almost anything but that. Albus lifted his wand and shouted, "Avada Kedavra," also. The killing curse went through several of the beasts, which were acting as a sort of rushing barrier between the two sorcerers, and hit Gellert's killing curse. the killing curse blew through the flame beasts, a titan and dragon on it's way through, and would have taken Gellert in the throat, if he had not disapperated. Albus breathed out in relief. he had another though, the cursed beasts were nearly upon him. Albus hoped this worked. If it ddid not, he would die. He aimed his wand at the beasts.

Gellert apperated just to the right of Albus, only just out of view. "Obscuro!" Gellert shouted. The spell blinded Dumbledore.

Albus was suddenly blinded. Casually, he cast his spell. "Imperio!" He then disassembled the spell blinding him. He managed to block a lightning blast with his other hand, cast by Gellert.

"You won't win, Albus! I have come too far within my goals to let that happen." Gellert snarled. He then cast a weirdly eddying orb of black energy. This black mass shot toward Albus.

Albus trnsformed this into a net of white light, which decended downward encasing Gellert. However, he turned that into a flock of razor blades. Albus ducked, and disapperated. Albus apperated behind Gellert. he pointed his wand at the fame beasts, who were being haulted by their caster, as they nearly hit Gellert instead. "Imperio!" Albus shouted. "You will destroy the inferi, and snuff yourselves after this task is competed. Albus commanded the horde of living flame. He was not sure they would, but the obeyed. Albus disapperated.

"Avada Kedavra!" Gellert shouted again though, this time time he aimed for the aurors who were stilll fighting their hardest at the foot of the tower. Gellert also cast a red fireball at Albus, using wandless magic. Then, disapperating, he apperated to a point slightly to the left and right in front of Albus. With a jesture, he blasted Albus onto his back. Crucio!"

Albus managed to enhance his voice and cry, "Scatter!" Before the torture curse hit him with full force. Albus screamed as Gellert brought his foot down upon his wand. Albus's wand snapped nearly in two. There was nothing for it then. He had to make certain that Gellert did not leave the victor. Meaning, Albus could not let Gellert kill him. He dived at Gellert.

A bright flash of green light blasted a hole in the side of the wall of the tower, just over Abelforth's head. He, and Doge had decided to help the aurors out after six of them had fallen to either dementors, infiri, followers of Grindelwald, or other lethal enchantments. A blood red ball of fire had taken down a large chunk of the gates of the tower prison. Albus's voice had come in loud and clear. Scatter, he had said. They had and just missed the huge wave of green light. It would have killed half a dozen of them. There was something about that wand. Half of a nearby forest was ablaze, and spells were still flying all over the damn place. After hoisting a stunned Dodge to his feet, Abelforth raised his wand. "We are being pushed back. The damn infiri!" Abelforth shouted over the sound of the pitched battle. "We have to find a way out of this mess before we are all killed!" Read-"

"Abelforth, look!" Doge shouted, pointing toward the site of the duel between Albus, and Gellert. A massive wave of beasts made of flame came exploding in.

"Fiend fire!" Abelforth shouted in shocked horror."

"What are they doing?" Doge asked. For the flames did not come for them. They boiled the incroaching infiri out of existence. After the flames also winked out, Doge simply goggled.

"Apparently, Gellert didn't want us dead?" A French Auror asked, his face bleeding, and his hair standing on end. He had come from behind, and to the right, of Abelforth.

"No. I know that bastard almost as well as my dear, dear brother. He wanted us alive."

"That's what I said." The French auror mumbled.

"No. Not Gellert. Albus wanted us to survive. He cut the fiend fire off by using some sort of powerful enchantment on it. It would have to have taken an unforgivable curse."

"Well, they are partly alive. Doge said.

"Impiro then. The French auror nodded wisely.

"Whatever it was, four threats are gone now. The ball of fire, the killing curse, the fiend fire, and the infiri. Lets sort the rest of this out then." The French auror grunted in agreement.

A death curse missed Albus so narrowly that his the pocket on his left side was set alight. He rolled, putting out the flame. He got to his feet, and faced Gellert once again. "Gellert-"

"Evisorate!" It was the entrail expelling curse. Gellert pointed his wand straight at Albus's belly, and released the spell. "You could have died quickly. Now, you will will do so quite nastily."

Nimbly, Albus dodged the curse, snatched up his broken wand, luckily it was only cracked, and pointed it directly at Gellert's face. "Obliviate!" Albus shouted. Gellert vanished nearly silently. Albus gazed around the field, that was now utterly devestated by all of the powerful pockmarks of magical ernergy, and caught movement out of the corner of his right eye. Gellert had apperated once again, and was blasting a foul fog his way. Albus knew this fog to be poisined. Albus waved his cracked wand. The fog transformed into an ice wall. Albus shattered this wall and sent all of the shards of ice toward Gellert, who countered by transfiguring the ice into glass. Albus blasted the glass aprt and created a field of wild sped toward Gellert, sparaying a sleep agent toward Gellert's center of mass. Gellert sent a conjured bogart at Albus in response. It turned into, with the usual accompanying loud, sharp crack...Ariana's corpse. All the air seem to go out of Albus's lungs. He was suddenly back on that faitful beech. Where Ariana had met her untimely demise.

Abelforth ducked two killing curses from two different followers of Grindelwald. "Encarserus!" He shouted, hitting one, while the other disapperated. He apperated behind Abelforth.

"No!" Albus screamed in utter revulsion, and horror. Forgetting everything in his sudden revisiting grief, Albus flung himself to the ground. All reason, and ratinal had left his mind as he gazed downward upon his slain, sweet, innocent, younger Sister. Gellert laughed, kicking Albus's dropped wand aside. Albus noticed this but, only as a bystander. He could not take his eyes off of Ariana. he heard Abelforth roar in the distance. he'd seen it also. Momentarily Albus realized something. A few thing in all actuality. One, Gellert had conjured not Ariana's body but, a bogart. Two, Abelforth was coming to join the fray, and thee. Gellert's was being cajoled, and corrupted by the wand itself. Power corrupted. And absolute power corrupted absolutely. What object better represented absolute power? Obviously, it had to be. That wand had taken full control of Gellert in many ways. He had to reach Gellert.

"How?!" Gellert demanded savagely. "How could I have ever loved one such as you. A craven, weakling." Gellert sneered. He aimed his wand at the top of Albus's skull. "avada kedavra!"

"This cold heart belongs not to you, Gellert." Albus said in a quiet tone, gentle, and sad. The tone carried with it an overpowering sense of certaintity. Even authority. "For you see, Gellert, you have just proclaimed your love for another being. Love is far from evil, Gellert. It is unwavering, and everlasting. You may have declared your love for me arrogantly, unintentionally, even unwittingly. However, also unequivocally. Gellert, I have never stopped loving you. I never will. But, this rampant cruelty must end, Gellert." I beg of you."

"Dirt!" Moody yelled at Abelforth, who flung himself down to the earth. A short, fierce duel began between the auror and the follower. Moody stunned him, and tied him in vines.

"Thanks, Moody." Abelforth grunted, getting back to his feet.

Gellert looked stunned, trapped. But only for a moment. That horrible grimace of brutality surfaced once again. Albus knew that he must end this. he had to get the wand. How though? If Albus could rest teh wand from Gellert's possession, he may be able to tame the wand? It was an mad thought. But if it worked...Albus gritted his teeth. he would have to make this work. While Gellert sent a barrage of killing curses toward Albus, Albus dived at, and managed to produce a stinging jinx on, Gellert's wand wrist. The stinging jinx loosened his grip. the elder wand dropped into the dirt.. Albus could not control his fall whilst in the air, and they both crashed to earth. They began to struggle desperately, and determinedly. Albus used wandless magic again, conjuring a flame in one hand. He applied this to the back of Gellert's wand hand. Gellert cast another killing curse. with the recovered elder wand. Albus dodged it, and kneed Gellert in the face. Gellert cursed Albus at the same time, and the curse sliced into Albus's knee. Bleeding, both men began to wrestle.

Abelforth noted that the blazing display of spells in the distance had stopped almost completely. It seemed as if the beautiful, yet deadly display of both skill, and power had stopped. Abelforth frowned and squinted into the darkened distance. From here, it looked as if the magical fight had become a physical confrontation. Abelforth repelled a dementor.

Albus discovered, very quickly, that being kicked in the groin was rather unpleasant. He returned the favor. He caught Gellert's elbow with his nose, and Albus responded in kind with a fist to the throat. This duel had devolved into a muggle duel. If the legend was tru, he would need to rest the wand from Gellert's possession by force. He did manage to grab a cylindrical something in Gellert's pocket and grasped it. Albus realized that it was a wand. His excitement when Albus made two discoveries in quick succession. One, it was indeed a wand, and two, it was not the elder wand because Gellert was still clinging onto it. Besides, the elder wand had fallen to the ground. It would have almost been a meirical for the elder wand to have fallen into Gellert's pocket. that meant that this had to be Gellert's original wand. Why would Gellert keep his original wand on his person? Albus decided that it did not matter. Since Gellert had broken his wand, it seemed only fair that Albus use Gellerts for the duration of this duel. He blasted Gellert off of him, and stood. The hatchling phoenix suddenly hopped onto Albus's foot. Albus scooped him up and, for safe keeping, pocketed him. Albus looked down toward some moisture on his hand. Tears. The tears of a phoenix had incredible heeling powers. The tears even helped with the depression surrounding this whole affair. Abruptly, Albus's heart was ceased by a new resolve.

At long last, Abelforth, Doge, and the auors finally subdued the dark wizards whom had been in league with Grindelwlad. Their side had begun this struggle with three dozen or so. Six were left. Six aurors, eight followers, our of ifty or so, Doge, and himself were all who was left. Four of the aurors had kept out their potronisis to repel the dementors continuously. Burned, bruised, bleeding, and, overall, spent wizards did the only thing that it made sense to do. Watch the rest of the duel between Albus, and Grindelwald. Abelforth, along with the others, kept his wand out. Just in case. Abelforth did not know what was happening over there. It seemed like the fight had ended but then, it began again.

 **Chapter 5: Imprisoning Triumph:**

"Curse you, Albus!" Gellert screamed this as he disapperated from the point he'd been blasted, about one hundred yards away from Albus, to a point five yards to Albus's right. Crucio!"

Albus cast a wave of golden sparks at Gellert. It was a spell that, if the sparks came into contact with Gellerts skin, he would not be able to move. To spite the fact that Albus won the original wand from Gellert, he was still slightly surprised that it worked so well for him. Gellert blew the sparks back at Albus. Albus trnsformed the golden sparks into a large stone. He propelled this at Gellert, in hopes of knocking him out if nothing else. Albus also cast a ring of white flame. The rieth of flame sprung both at and around Gellert. Gellert turned the rock into a spider the size of a cart horse, and disapperated out of the flame. Albus sighed. Now they were right back where they started. Or, were they? "Gellert!"

Gellert threw out his hands. Palms out, fingers splayed with the elder wand pinched between the thumb and forefinger of his wand hand. A title wave of air crashed over Albus. Gellert twisted, and flicked his wand and the air became a title wave of water. Now Albus was being crushed under literally tons of water. Centimeter by centimeter he began to freeze the surface of the wave of water. Gellert smiled. Now nobody would stand in his way. No longer. His grin grew as the water began to solidify via implacable surety. Gellert laughed.

Abelforth spun at the sound of Doge's shout. He'd been looking over at the prisoners, and adding to the patronis wall, in order to hold the dementors. "What?!" Abelforth commanded crisply. But, when he gazed across the field, his vision aded by the light of the patronises, and several lit wand tips, he saw very well what. He could barely make out Albus's situation. A massive field of ice was been created over the improvised battlefield, and Gellert was standing over it. Abelforth looked around frantically. "No Albus? Where-"

"I saw him, Ab. He went under the ice! He can't have much air under there." Doge jabbered in a querulous tone. His voice thready with terror.

Abelforth was stopped by a hand on his arm. That hand had an iron grip. Abelforth had not realized that he had begun to walk toward the duel. "No." Stated Moody. "Leave them to it."

"If he's killed my brother-" Abelforth snarled.

"Then we will die avenging him. But the time is not now." Moody insisted. "I have been in a scrap with that one before. Whatever you do, remember this. Never, not ever, count out that one, boy. Albus knows what he is doing. Trust me. He will battle back." Abelforth strained against Moody's arm anyway. "Not now. Wait a minute yet. Have faith in Albus."

"My dear brother has to realize that he cannot do everything." Abelforth snapped back bitterly.

Moody raised his voice. "I said, not yet, boy!" He roared.

"I agree with Moody." Doge said. "I-l ook!" He said a moment later. Abelforth did. At the sight he behld, Abelforth could not help it. A begrugning, yet bitter respect grew within him for his elder brother. They all stood. Gazing out at the duel that, one day, would become legendary. "This is a night etched in history." doge whispered in awe. Moody nodded grimly.

Battling the terror that was quickly becoming the sum of his being, Albus quickly formed a plan. He knew that this had to end now. Gellert had a more power wand, and it had bonded to him better than the wand that was currently in his possession. The cards were stacked in Gellert's favor now. he had to be tired too however, so was Albus. Also, Gellert could add stamina to himself with a simple heeling spell. He suspected that Gellert had done this at least once already. Even in the face of all that, Albus knew that he could not give up. He had to put his mind to work. Gellert was relying upon power. Albus must lean upon wits, in the stead of overwhelming strength. He did not have that anyway. Gellert could not taste victory. Or, the world of the muggles, and most of the wizarding world for that matter, would consume a steady diet of misery. He had to think. After a few moments, Albus began to calm himself. He began to formulate a statagum. he place Gellert's original wand tip against the ice. His goal was not to melt it but, to change it another way. Mist. Albus also realized that he had to convince Gellert of his vincibillity. Perhaps he could obtain victory if he could just appeal to Gellert's tangled humanity.

"That's it, Albus. You were always weaker than I. Grub about on the ground like that worm you are. I cannot believe that I let you into my plot for the greater good. I never should have trusted you!" Gelert raved and ranted as he began to walk around the bit of crushing ice with Albus's body underneath it. "It is time for you to die. For the greater good."

Albus managed to do several, almost at once. He transformed that ice into mist, stood up, sent a spell that would form a man sized bell jar around Gellert, and cast a disalusion charm upon himself, so as to render himself invisible. Gellert deflected Albus's spells effortlessly. The bll jar spell vanished into the ether, the mist turned into a vast masse of scorpians, and then, Gellert looked about for Albus. He began blasting the area with both death and torture curses. The man had gone utterly mad. He was a one man fireworks disply gone berserk. Albus managed to disapperate away from the unforgivable curses now being thrown thither and yon all throughout the immediate area. Albus saw his chance, and dived. He leapt upon the wand are of Gellert, subduing his might rage, and broke Gellert's arm at the elbow and shoulder. Ignoring Gellet's pain filled bellows, Albus rested the wand from him. Now Albus had two wand and Gellert, had none. He could not however leave Gellert in that much pain. He mended his broken arm. "Now you will listen." Albus said, gathering in power and authority until he was cloaked in it. Soent as he was, Albus could feel his waves of magical power radiate off of his person. "Please, Gellert."

Gellert knew that it was over after he pain had been traded over for normalcy. A feeeling of determination still grasped his heart. He knew that he had to be in the right when it came to the ideology of the greater good but, somehow...it all seemed a goal of lesser import. He still wanted to carry out his means but, he also felt lighter in some ways. "Albus?"

"Your pathos have changed, if only slightly. I can see it in your lovely blue eyes. Do you see now that you were more blinded by power, than you were obtaining justice for the masses of wizarding kind? As I have, I mean." Pocketing both wands, Albus took a step toward Gellert. He could not help but smile a bit. He could see flickers of his friend in those eyes. Gellert had returned. "The wand, moreover the power contained within it's construction, grips one's heart with bloodlust. Though it is one of the hallows, nobody should have that much power. It has taken me a long time to have realized that fact. Though, I admit. I reamin morbidly curious. Dangerous as that is. Now I shall realse a power upon you that is far more wonderful and terrible than any we have thrown at one another this night. I do still love you, Gellert. For it was not you whom killed my sister. It was this." Albus jestured at his pocket. Gellert gave a longing glance toward Albus's pocket. "I will stun you if I must. You are not getting it back." Albus said, noticing the glance.

"Are you so sure, Albus?" Gellert growled. But, it did sound less like a a man whom had perpetrated some of the worst atrocities in wizarding history. This was a man who was attempting to come to terms with concepts which he was incapable of wrestling with at the moment. "I thought you would never betray me like this. Not after all we shared. We had. What of the cause? Of us, Albus?" A pleading tone crept into his tone then. Albus slowly shook his heard. "Ah. I am sorry for Ariana. Not for perusing our true goals. Why?"

"Because in enacting a plan for the greater good, we have created a world that is much worse off than we left it. However, there is still time to repent, and to repair some of the damage we wrought." Albus noticed that others coming over to the now ended duel. Albus gazed around at all of the spell damage. Gellert imitated him. "You will understand also."

"Abelforth possess all of the subtlety of a cart horse in a tea shop. but, perhaps he did have a point about Ariana."

"More than that I dare say." Albus nodded. "I am the only fit to possess the wand. We both know it, Gellert. I will keep, and hide, you original wand also. Since you broke my old wand I need not do the repeat what I do with your as mine. I am sorry too, Gellert. If I only knew, I would have not allowed you to gain the wand. I am loathed to imagine all of this resting upon one man's consciousness." Albus sighed. "In that, you are condemned. Now, comes the awkward part. For all you have done, you must be taken into auror custody."

Moody stepped forward and stunned the man. "Now, where to put him. He mused.

"I vote we put the bastard into his own damnable prison. tower." Abelforth stated, more than suggested. Eventually this did happen. Gellert's followers were placed inside the other cells of the tower. The Bulgarian magical government established a regimen of guards, and everybody left disapperated back to France, or great Brittian. The war at last over.

 **Chapter 6: Abelforth's Aftermath:**

Abelforth chuckled to himself several times a day when he returned to work, running his pub. The people were talking up his elder brother as if he were the second bloody coming. It was absurd. If they'd only seen the duel, they'd see. he had lost count of how man times Albus damned near popped his clogs that night. It finally time to close. he put all of the nonsense out of his mind. After shutting the door to his flat over his pub, he walked over to his sister's painting. "Good nigh, Ari." He whispered. The ghost of his sister smiled back and closed her eyes. Abelforth believed that Ariana's spirit had become trapped within the painting when she had come back as a ghost, and when the painting had been created, she, so strong was her and his bond with one another, was bound up within the canvas. The magical artist, Kirby Brown, had done well indeed. He smiled back, and went to bed. Abelforth had no idea that his peace would be disrupted in just a couple of decades. He dressed for bed and curled up beneath his covers, falling into an uneasy slumber. For the next few decades, Abelforth would run his pub as anybody else ran a business. Not until nineteen seventy did he speak to Albus Far too much history there.

 **Chapter 7: Seven:**

"Albus, you haven't used magic in a few weeks. Why?" Flitwick asked.

They were sitting in the staff room. Albus could not tell his charms professor the truth about the elder wand. So, he said, "No need has arisen." He shrugged. Albus knew that he had beaten the man. However, he still battled the wand. More accurately, the dark impassivity the wand imparted. He could feel the need to loose wanton destruction. "A curse indeed." He muttered as he went down the stairs and into another corridor. People waved, greeted, and shyed from him. He smiled and nodded to all as he strode towards the double doors. It was the end of the year by now and all students would be departing tomorrow. For the seventh year students, this meant a life long career somewhere. Graduation. As he walked outside the castle, he decided that he would visit Hagrid. If he was away, he would simply walk about the grounds. He needed air. The open. To breath. A voice called out to him suddenly. By the usage of the appellation, headmaster,, he knew it was a student. He wanted to keep going, but he stopped walking. "Yes?" He inquired politely.

"I wanted to tell you that I am leaving a day early. I have things to do after all, Sir." The tall, pale, black eyed, and haired boy proffered his hand to shake.

"As. I thank you for the services you had given this school, Tom. I know you will go as far as you wish to." Albus responded, shaking this boy's hand. He thought gile flashed behind those black eyes. he kept up the pretext. Albus sensed that they both knew that this was all that this was. A hoax for the public's benefit. He wondered why he came to this conclusion as he shook the boy's hand. The hand shake ended and the boy turned to go. "Tom. There are so many choices in the outside world. I do wish you the very best. Farewell"

Tom Riddle only said, "Thank you, Sir." And walked through the front gates of Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry. Albus Dumbledore watched as he disapperated into the outside world.


End file.
